The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has announced an open innovation challenge for individuals, teams, and organizations in the United States to propose digital health solutions that can improve care for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The challenge, “Transforming IBD Care: Better disease monitoring, management, and care for people with inflammatory bowel disease,” was announced in a press release from Eli Lilly.
It calls for new strategies using modern technology and systems to improve monitoring of IBD, make managing the disease easier, and improve care more broadly. This could include mobile phone apps, sensors that can be worn or connected to drug-delivery devices, algorithms to better understand the disease, digital games, and more.
The challenge will be open to submissions until 11:59 p.m. EST Sept. 30. The submissions will be judged by a panel that will include IBD experts within Eli Lilly and judges from outside the company.
The panel is scheduled to nominate five finalists by early November, with finalists selected based on the impact of the proposed idea, its novelty, feasibility, and potential to address the needs of people living with IBD in the long term.
The winner from among the finalists will be announced before the end of 2019. and awarded a cash prize of $50,000. The winner will also have a potential opportunity to work on the idea with Eli Lilly as a co-developer.
Divakar Ramakrishnan, PhD, chief digital officer at Eli Lilly, said: “Lilly is investing in digital solutions that can help empower people with chronic conditions, such as IBD, to better manage their own health. Innovation is happening everywhere, and this challenge is aimed at identifying bold ideas outside our walls and collaborating on ways to potentially deliver new solutions to those who need them most. Approximately 3 million Americans have reported being diagnosed with IBD, and Lilly is committed to tackling the challenge of this disease through science and innovation. We’re looking for digital innovators to join us.”
More information about the challenge, including eligibility requirements and the form for submission, can be found here.